Adjustable lighting fixture



J. KEPENACH ADJUSTABLE LIGHTING FIXTURE Dec. 19, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 12, 1965 FIG.

INVENTOR J. KEPE/VA CH ATTO RN EY 9, 96 KEPENACH 3,359,412

I ADJUSTABLE LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Aug. 12, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

IIIIIIIIIIIII'II INVENTOR J. KEPE/VA CH ATTORN EY United States Patent 3,359,412 ADJUSTABLE LIGHTING FIXTURE John Kepenach, Middlesex, NJ., assignor to Pfalf and Kendall, Newark, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Aug. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 479,266 7 Claims. (Cl. 240-11.2) a

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a lighting fixture, specially designed to permit selective movement of a cover casing thereof into a position in which the fixture is closed, for normal operation, and to enable the cover casing to be moved to a second position for readily opening the fixture for access to the interior thereof, for repairs, relamping or other purposes.

In accordance with this invention, a first plate member is secured to a portion of the fixture, preferably adjacent the lamp housing therein, and provided with a marginal inner flange. The cover casing is provided with a second plate member having a protuberance formed thereon for snap engagement with the underside of the lower edge of the marginal flange, to secure the cover to the first plate in closed relation, thereby closing the fixture for-the normal operation. Said" second plate is preferably formed of spring material, so that the cover casing may be moved apart from the first plate member, to snap the second plate protuberance out of engagement with the edge of the flange of the first plate member, to enable the cover casing to be moved apart from the first plate member, for access to the interior of the fixture.

In one form of the invention, as illustrated in the drawings, the second plate may have a pair of spaced protuberances, and the camming edge of the first plate may be an inner marginal flange thereof having an edge to be engaged by a protuberance of the second plate member, for closing the fixture.

The drawings, illustrating procedures and devices useful in carrying out the invention, and the description below, are exemplary only of the invention, which shall be deemed to cover all other devices and procedures coming within the scope and purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters indicate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly sectional, of the upper portion of a fixture embodying the invention in the closed position of the parts,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, similar view of another form thereof, and

FIG. 3 is a schematic view, showing in dotted lines, the position of the parts on opening the fixture, and in full lines, on closing the fixture, pursuant to the invention.

As shown in the drawings, the invention is adapted to be secured to a support means 10, which may comprise spacing rods 14 or the like, secured to or extending from a base portion 11 of the fixture, to which light unit 12 is secured by suitable means 13.

Pursuant to the invention, a first or upper plate is provided with an inner camming edge 21 which may be defined by an inner marginal flange 22 having upper and lower edges 23, 24, for a purpose presently explained. Between the outer edges of the plate 20 and the base portion 11 is the bowl 35 customarily utilized to surround the light unit and which bowl is held between rubber rings 36 and 37 mounted respectively on the base portion and on the under side of the upper plate 20. This plate 20, bowl 35 and base portion 11 are held together as a unit with the upper plate properly spaced from the base portion by the nut and washer arrangement 38 on the threaded upper end of support means 10. Pursuant to the invention, the cover casing 25 of the fixture is proportioned to overlieand be readily detachablysecured to the plate 20 in spaced relation thereto. The outer marginal edge 26 of the cover casing 25 in the FIG. 2 form is adapted to abut an inturned portion 27 of the first plate 20, to thereby close the fixture; the first plate 20 may have a gasket 28 to be engaged by the outer marginal edge 26 of cover member 25 (FIG. 2) when the fixture is closed. In the form shown in FIG. 1, a ventilation ring 29 might be positioned on the gasket 28 and held by the inturned portion 27 of the first plate 20, thereby defining an extension thereof for engagement by the outer marginal flange 26 of the cover casing 25, or, said ventilating ring 29 may be frictionally or otherwise secured to the outer marginal flange 26 of the cover 25, thereby defining an extension thereof for engagement with the inturned portion 27 of the first plate 20.

The outer marginal flange 26 of the cover casing 25 may have engagement with the first plate member 20 or may be omitted, within the scope and purview of the invention, the invention being directed to the novel means for simple and positive positioning of the cover casing 25 on the plate 20 and, disengagement therefrom, as

presently more particularly described; A second plate, 31

is fixed as at 32 (FIG. 1) to the cover 25 and has a free portion 34 extendingtherefrom, provided with a first protuberance 33. The plate 31 is preferably formed of spring material and the parts are so proportioned that, by the arrangement described, when the first protuberance 33 engages the camming edge 21 (or lower edge of flange 22) of the first plate 20, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cover will be held in closing relation to the first plate 20*. On movement of the cover 25 away from first plate 20, first protuberance 33 may be snapped clear of the camming edge 21 of the first plate 20 and the cover 25 and parts attached thereto moved to a position (as shown in dotted lines at 34a, FIG. 3) to open the fixure for access to the interior.

In the form shown in FIG. 1, a second protuberance 35 may be formed on the free portion 34 of the second plate 31, spaced from the first protuberance 33 a distance substantially equal to the height of the flange 22 of the first plate 20, so that said protuberances will register with the upper and lower edges of the flange 22 of the first plate 20 to latch the cover 25 to closed position. This construction has the further advantage that the same form of second plate 31 is adaptable for use for securing the cover 25 to first plate 20 at a position substantially closer than that shown in FIG. 1, for example, where a member such as the ventilator ring 29 in FIG. 1, is (FIG. 2) omitted, in which case the function of the protuberance 33 of second plate 34 of FIG. 1 of engaging the camming edge 21 of first plate 20 is essentially that of the upper protuberance on second plate 31 as shown in FIG. 2. If desired, a chain or other flexible means 36 may be provided and secured at opposite ends to the second plate 34 and the first plate 20 or to .rod 14 or other part of the fixture, to prevent excess movement of the cover 25 away from the first plate 20.

While the foregoing disclosure of exemplary embodiments is made in accordance with the patent statutes, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby, the inventive scope being defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a lighting device fixture having a base member having means afiixed thereto to support a light unit and support means extending upwardly therefrom, a first plate member secured to said support means in fixedly spaced relation to the base member, a bowl interposed between the base and the first plate member, a flange extending from the first plate member and defining a marginal edge therof, a cover casing proportioned to overlie the plate member when assembled thereon, a second plate member fixed at one end to the cover casing and a free portion angularly extending from the second plate member, and a protuberance formed in the so extending portion of the second plate member, to readily detachably engage the flanged portion of the first plate member, to thereby selectively assemble and hold the cover casing in abutment with the first plate member, thereby closing the fixture, and to disengage the cover casing from the first plate member and thereby enable the cover casing to be moved clear of the first plate member, to open the fixture for access to the interior thereof.

2. In a lighting device fixture as set forth in claim 1, a second protuberance on the second plate member, spaced from the first mentioned protuberance on the second plate member a distance substantialy equal to height of said flange of said marginal edge flange of the first plate member, said protuberances being proportioned to so selectively engage the lower and upper edges of the flanged portion of the first plate member.

3. In a lighting device fixture as set forth in claim 2, said free portion of the second plate member being made of spring materials so said protuberances thereof will selectively engage the flanged portion of the first plate member to so secure the cover casing thereto and to be yieldably snapped out of engagement therewith for moving the cover casing away from the first plate memher.

4. In a lighting device fixture as set forth in claim 1,

said first plate member having an inturned portion and said cover casing having a downturned flange at the free end thereof complementary to the inturned portion of the first plate member, to abut therewith to so close the fixture.

'5. In a lighting device fixture as set forth in claim 1, flexible means connecting said second plate member and the supporting means to limit separation of the cover casing from the first plate member.

6. In a lighting fixture having as an assembled unit a base with provision for insertion of a light unit therein, a bowl for surrounding the light unit and an upper plate, a cover casing readily detachably secured to said upper plate and a ventilating ring interposed between the cover casing and the upper plate, said ventilating ring being retained in position between the cover casing and the upper plate solely by the action of the cover casing and the upper plate, means secured to the cover casing detachably engaging the upper plate to retain the cover casing on the upper plate, the means secured to the cover casing having vertically spaced protuberances thereon, the upper plate having a flange, the under edge of which is engaged by the lower protuberance when the ventilating ring is positioned between the cover casing and the upper plate, and which lower edge of the flange is engaged by the upper protuberance when the ventilating ring is omitted from the fixture.

7. A fixture as set forth in claim 6 in which, the upper surface of the upper plate is provided with a gasket and when the ventilating ring is omitted, the free edge of the cover casing engages said gasket.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,730,810 10/1929 Doane 240-433 X 2,732,482 1/ 1956 Wince 240 ll.2 2,914,657 11/1959 Akely et al. 240 3 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner.

WY NDHAM M. FRYE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A LIGHTING DEVICE FIXTURE HAVING A BASE MEMBER HAVING MEANS AFFIXED THERETO TO SUPPORT A LIGHT UNIT AND SUPPORT MEANS EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM, A FIRST PLATE MEMBER SECURED TO SAID SUPPORT MEANS IN FIXEDLY SPACED RELATION TO THE BASE MEMBER, A BOWL INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE BASE AND THE FIRST PLATE MEMBER, A FLANGE EXTENDING FROM THE FIRST PLATE MEMBER AND DEFINING A MARGINAL EDGE THEREOF, A COVER CASING PROPORTIONED TO OVERLIE THE PLATE MEMBER WHEN ASSEMBLED THEREON, A SECOND PLATE MEMBER FIXED AT ONE END TO THE COVER CASING AND A FREE PORTION ANGULARLY EXTENDING FROM THE SECOND PLATE MEMBER, AND A PROTUBERANCE FORMED IN THE SO EXTENDING PORTION OF THE SECOND PLATE MEMBER, TO READILY DETACHABLY ENGAGE THE FLANGED PORTION OF THE FIRST PLATE MEMBER, TO THEREBY SELECTIVELY ASSEMBLE AND HOLD THE COVER CASING IN ABUTMENT WITH THE FIRST PLATE MEMBER, THEREBY CLOSING THE FIXTURE, AND TO DISENGAGE THE COVER CASING FROM THE FIRST PLATE MEMBER AND THEREBY ENABLE THE COVER CASING TO BE MOVED CLEAR OF THE FIRST PLATE MEMBER, TO OPEN THE FIXTURE FOR ACCESS TO THE INTERIOR THEREOF. 